Broken Hearts Can Heal Together
by CCangel
Summary: Regina and David have both lost their spouses. They find themselves bonding over that loss and eventually their friendship turns into something more. No curse. No Enchanted Forest or Storybrooke.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Regina scanned the room looking at all the familiar sorrowful faces. She was one of the stronger ones in the group but today was different. Today was the anniversary of her husband's death. She noticed some new faces meaning she would have to recite her whole sordid tale again. She knew it helped others but for once she didn't want to talk.

The meeting began and Dr. Archie Hopper welcomed everybody. He went into his spiel about grief and how it was important to move forward. How it was important to know that no one could set a time limit on grieving.

Regina saw some remain stoic while others nodded their heads. Her eyes caught one individual walking through the back door quietly taking a seat. He seemed troubled but so was everybody else in this support group. She turned her attention back to the doctor.

He was asking for people to share their stories. Regina was the fifth one to speak.

"Some of you know this already. I'm Regina. I lost my husband, Robin, in the war. He was a soldier in the Marines. He died in Afghanistan due to a roadside bomb. He was supposed to come home a week later finishing his tour. Life had other plans. I went from throwing a welcome home party to having a funeral. My son, Henry, he asks me every night when daddy is coming back from heaven. Every night I tell him that he can't because he is with the angels watching over us. Today is the anniversary of his death and I still have trouble moving on. I force myself to get out of bed because of Henry. He needs me and I can't let him down."

She wiped her eyes and she felt a hand touch hers. It was Archie and he gave an encouraging smile. "Thank you Regina for sharing again." He addressed the crowd.

"Helping others is a way for us to help lessen the pain within ourselves. It give us strength when we feel we have none to give," he explained. "Would anyone else like to share?"

Others shared their stories but Regina tuned out at seeing the man shift in his seat again. This time he looked agitated. He looked like he wanted to get out of the room as soon as possible. She tilted her head slightly trying to figure what was possibly going through his head at the precise moment.

It wasn't until she saw everyone else get out of their seats that she realized the session was over. She grabbed her things and scanned the people when she spotted him leaving. She bolted for the door and stepped quickly.

"Excuse me sir," she called out. The man turned around and she was instantly struck by his blue eyes. Those eyes mirrored something she saw in herself when she was alone.

"Are you alright?" she asked. "You look like you could talk to someone."

He narrowed his eyes. "If I wanted to say something I would have done it in there," he snapped.

She took a step back. "Sorry. I overstepped. Have a good night then."

His eyes softened and he let out a sigh. "No. I'm sorry. I had no reason to snap at you. This is all new for me. I-I…

"It's alright. Really," she said. "I'm Regina," she said holding out her hand.

"David. It's nice to meet you," he said shaking her hand. "Your story was moving. I'm sorry for your loss."

She gave a sad smile. "Thank you. I'm sorry for your loss as well."

David checked his watch. "I don't want to keep you. Getting back to your son and all."

"Um, yeah. Well, I'll see you around some time," she said and walked away from him. He shook his head as he watched her go.

Regina knocked on the door and waited with her hands in her coat pocket. The door opened and she was greeted by her friend Kathryn.

"Hi Regina. Come in," she said. She closed the door behind them.

"How was Henry?" she asked.

"An angel like always," she said. "Frederick put him to sleep an hour ago. How was the session?"

"The usual," she said. "Today was hard."

Kathryn put a hand on Regina's back. "I know. How are you feeling?"

"Sadder than usual," Regina answered. "I'll get through it."

They heard Frederick come down the stairs. "Hey Regina."

"Hi," she said as he hugged her.

"I put him to asleep. He asked about Robin again," he informed. "I told him that his daddy was a hero and he was watching him making sure he was safe."

"Thanks Frederick," she said. "I need to go get him."

"I'll do it," Frederick offered and went back upstairs.

Regina leaned against the banister and rubbed her forehead. She felt Kathryn pull her into a hug. "It's going to be okay. Just wait."

"I've been waiting for nearly two years," she said as she pulled back. "I can only tell Henry so much. I'm scared that he will continue to think his father is going to come through our front door."

"Henry is still young. It's hard to explain death to someone of that age," she said.

"I'm still dealing with the concept of death," she muttered. They heard Frederick come down again and he handed him to Regina.

"Everything is in his bag," he stated handing it to her. They walked her to her car and she left.

Regina pulled up to the house and parked the car. She looked back to see Henry still sleeping. He looked so much like Robin. She quickly blinked away the tears forming. She eventually got inside and tucked him in.

She went to her bedroom and changed into her silk pajamas. She climbed in bed and took a picture of her and Robin off the nightstand. She pressed her lips gently to it. "Goodnight Robin."

She turned off the light and went to sleep not realizing tears had started to fall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Regina felt emotionally drained as she readied for her day. Thinking about Robin always made her sad. What made it worse were the dreams and they seemed to just fill her mind on the anniversary. She dreamt of their wedding. Her father walked her down the aisle and she had butterflies in her stomach. She could see him smiling at her and all her apprehensions disappeared. She felt his hand in hers and they recited her vows.

She dropped Henry off at school and then went to the local café. After she grabbed her coffee she turned and saw him sitting in the booth. He looked just as tired as she felt. Before she knew it, she was standing by his table.

"David," she called out. His head snapped up at the voice.

"Regina," he said surprised. "Um, hi. What are you doing here?"

"Getting coffee before I went to work," she said. "I just wanted to see how you were."

He was slightly taken aback. Not many people asked how he was doing these days. They retreated into their lives leaving him to grieve alone.

"I'm fine," he said. "Thanks for asking. Please have a seat if you want to," he said gesturing to the open spot across from him.

She sat down and briefly smiled. "So I'm sorry again for upsetting you last night," she started.

He shook his head. "No. Don't be. I had a lot going on. You weren't at fault. However, I imagine the rest of your night wasn't as joyful either."

Regina set the coffee down. "No. It wasn't and today is not any better. I'll be okay though." She looked at her watch. "I need to go. It was nice seeing you again."

He looked at his watch and realized he was nearly late. "No problem. I need to go to. I'm supposed to be meeting a client first thing in the morning," he said getting up.

"What do you do?" she asked.

"I'm a lawyer," he answered. He saw her eyes go wide. "What? You have a problem with lawyers."

"No. That scenario would be pretty hard since I'm one myself," she said. He chuckled.

"Small world," he said.

"Yes it is," she said. "I hope to see you around more."

"Likewise," he said. They went out the door and went to their vehicles.

Regina walked into her office followed and situated herself. She glanced up from her computer and saw Kathryn with a set of files. "Good morning," Regina said.

"Morning. How are you feeling?" Kathryn asked.

"Alright. What's with the files?" Regina questioned.

Kathryn laid the files on her desk. "Murder case. First degree. Look over it. I suggest we cut a deal for 25 years minimum. If he goes to trial, we seek the death penalty."

Regina opened the files and scanned them. "He did this," she said incredulously.

"Yes," Kathryn answered. "We have a meeting with his attorney in two hours."

Kathryn and Regina walked to the conference room and Regina stopped at the entrance. Her eyes met David's and his went a little wide. She gathered herself quickly and sat next to Kathryn.

David watched her sit his mind racing but quickly snapped himself out of it. "Attorney David Nolan," he said. "This is my partner Attorney Aiden Gold."

Regina said, "Pleasure to meet you both. I'm Regina Mills and this is Kathryn Nolan. We understand your client is facing a murder charge. We are willing to cut a deal."

They waited for her to continue. "25 years minimum," she said. She saw Gold roll his eyes. "Is there a problem Mr. Gold?"

"Our client doesn't deserve that sentence. He's innocent," Gold said.

"It's either this or the death penalty. Take your pick," Regina countered.

"Hold on. We will have to discuss this with our client," David interjected. "I do believe this deal you've concocted won't be much use once our client is free."

He gave his usual smug look and he could tell she was annoyed. "We do appreciate the offer and you'll hear back from us soon."

The men stood up and walked out the conference.

"That went well," Kathryn said.

"They'll see it our way eventually. In the meantime, we have to come up with strategy." Regina glanced out the window to see David getting on the elevator. They locked eyes again and he gave a curt nod. She nodded back thinking her world just got more interesting.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

David and Aiden walked through the doors to see their client with his head hung low. "Mr. Jones," David said.

Killian looked up with anxious eyes. "Am I getting out of here?"

David put down his briefcase and so did Gold. "No. The prosecuting attorney wants to offer a deal. 25 years minimum. If you don't accept it, they'll shoot for the death penalty."

Killian just stared at them dumbfounded. "I didn't kill her. I loved her. I'm being framed," he said his voice rising with every word.

"Mr. Jones, please lower your voice," Gold said. "We believe you are innocent. However, the evidence states otherwise. Now we need you to go over everything again."

Killian rubbed his forehead. "I was going home. I called Milah when I got to the car like I do every night. She said she had dinner prepared and she would see me soon. I told I loved her and I hung up the phone."

"What time was that?" David asked.

"Around 7," he replied. "I went straight home. I didn't notice anything strange at first. When I walked inside I called for her but she didn't answer. I started to search the house and finally I saw her lying there in a pool of blood," he said his voice cracking.

David nodded forcing himself to control his own emotions. "The police said there was no evidence of a break in. They said it looks like whoever killed your wife she knew."

Killian let out a frustrated groan. "I swear on Milah's life I didn't kill her. We weren't expecting any company. She would have told me if we were."

"How long does it take you to get home?" Gold asked.

"About 15 to 30 minutes depending on the traffic," he answered.

Gold pulled out files from his briefcase. He pulled out some pictures and placed them in front of Killian. "Look at them. Tell us if anything is out of the ordinary."

He watched as Killian looked at the pictures. He flinched at every gruesome sight. He scanned for any little detail. His body language didn't mirror a man who cared less about his dead wife.

"Nothing is different," Killian said defeated.

Gold took back the pictures. David said, "I'll tell the prosecutor you aren't interested in taking the deal. We'll go to trial."

"I'm not a murderer," Killian said.

"We believe you Mr. Jones," David said. "Whoever did this will come to light and will pay for his crimes. We will get justice for Milah."

They left and went to David's car. "So, what's your guess? Are we representing a lunatic or an innocent man?" Gold questioned. "If you don't think we can win, drop the case."

"I believe he's innocent," he said. "All we have to do is create reasonable doubt."

"Belief is one thing. Convincing a jury to have that same belief is another. A man comes home from work to find his wife dead. Stabbed and strangled according to the reports. There's no sign of a break in. No sign of any domestic violence prior to the incident. Two loving people who had their lives ahead of them and suddenly it collapses. Do we know if she had any enemies?"

"Everyone we talked to had nothing but good things to say about her," he stated.

Gold tilted his head. "There lies the problem. If Mr. Jones didn't do it, we have to find out who else had probable cause. The police have their man and are sticking with the husband. We need to find out more about Milah's life. If something hidden turns up, so be it."

"I'll get Ruby on it as soon as we get back to the office," David stated.

They drove for a while in silence. Gold asked, "How's everything going?"

"Aiden," he warned. "I'm not talking about it."

"Belle wants to know. She's extremely worried about you," he explained.

David's eyes softened. "Tell Belle I'm fine. She can stop worrying."

Gold snorted. "She's more worried about you than her own husband. Just the other day she asked if you started going to grief counseling yet and if you needed company."

David smiled a little. "I always wondered how a sweet, gentle soul like Belle ended up with you."

Gold rolled his eyes. "I can be quite charming. At least Belle thinks so."

David let out a chuckle. "Yeah, whatever. I went to a session last night," he admitted. "It was alright."

"Alright?" he asked not convinced.

David winced as the faces appeared in his mind. Especially hers.

"Alright, it was suffocating. Hearing all those people talk. I couldn't wait to leave."

"So that is how you met Ms. Mills," Gold deduced. "I saw the look you gave each other. One of great surprise on both your parts."

"Drop it," David said. "We aren't going to talk about her."

"Fine," he said. He paused, "You will listen. It's been over a year and you need to meet people outside of work. It doesn't have to be romantic. You hang out with Belle and me all the time. You need someone."

"I had someone," he shot back.

"You can have it if you give yourself a chance," he said.

"When did you become such a sap?" David asked.

"Belle turned me into one. Don't tell anyone, he said.

'You won't hear anything from me," David continued.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

David walked into the foyer of his house and threw the keys into the bowl on top of the end table. He put down his briefcase. He checked his messages. There was one from his mother, Ruth. She wanted him to call her. Normally he would but he knew what their conversation was headed. He didn't want to deal with her constant worrying.

His phone rang breaking him out of his thoughts. He saw Ruby's name come across the screen.

"Ruby," he greeted.

"David. I hope I'm not disturbing you," she said.

"No. I just got in. What did you find?" he inquired.

"Mr. Jones has a long-lost brother that he failed to inform us about," she answered. "He lives in Boston. Name is Liam Jones. I'm leaving for Boston in the morning."

"Be careful Ruby," he responded concerned. "I should go with you."

He could practically see Ruby roll her eyes.

"I can handle myself you know. It's what you pay me for," she said pretending to be annoyed.

"You're right but I'm allowed to worry," he replied. He heard a snort.

"Alright, fine. You can worry but you don't need to. You have other more important things to be concerned with," she said.

If only that were true. "Get some sleep Ruby." He hung up the phone. He hoped this Liam could shed light on Milah and Killian.

He went upstairs and stopped in front of the double doors. He did this every night. He would start to go into the room but it held too many painful memories. That room represented so many dreams that would never come true.

David let out a breath and went to his room. He changed clothes and laid in bed thinking about his wife. He missed her so much his heart hurt. He reached for the pillow she used to sleep on and put it under his head. Her scent still lingered and it made him feel closer to her.

His thoughts stayed settled on his wife as he fell asleep.

**The next day...**

David sat at the booth at the coffee shop. He checked his phone every five minutes waiting on word from Ruby.

He looked up to see Regina come in. He caught her eyes and she smiled. He smiled back. He found himself thinking she had a beautiful smile.

To his surprise, she sat across from him. "Counselor," she greeted.

"Counselor? When did we get formal with each other?" he questioned.

She smirked playfully. "I don't know. Maybe when you refused my offer on a plea deal and foolishly decided to go against me in court."

"I told you I would fight for my client and I plan on winning," he shot back. His face held that same smug look that irritated her during their brief meeting.

"Your smug look won't help you," she argued. It was his turn to smirk.

"This smug look of mine is what charms juries," he teased. She rolled her eyes.

"I doubt it," she replied. "Anyway, how's your day so far?"

"I'm waiting on a phone call," he answered. "From my mother," he continued not wanting to tip her off.

"Oh," she said. "What's her name?"

"Ruth Nolan," he answered. "She likes to check up on me more since my wife's death."

She nodded her head in understanding. "I get the same thing from my folks. Sometimes I ignore the messages because I already know what my parents are going to say. I need to move back home and start over. Henry needs to be around family."

Regina had no idea why she just told him that. He seemed to sense her confusion. "Hey, whatever we discuss stays between us. Unless it's about court."

"Well, how about we agree to leave court business alone until have to talk about it?" she suggested.

"I'm fine with that," he said holding out his hand. She shook it.

His phone rang and it was Ruby. "Mom," he said.

"Mom? It's Ruby," she said confused.

"Yeah, sorry I missed your call last night," he continued. He excused himself from the table and went outside. "Sorry Ruby but I was with someone."

"Wait, you were on a date?" she asked clearly surprised.

"Of course not. Just talking to a friend," he refuted. "What do you have for me?"

"He's agreed to meet with us. He says he wants to help is brother in any way possible. He'll be in your office this afternoon."

"Thanks. I owe you," he said. He hung up and went back inside. He sat in the booth.

"How's your mother?" she asked.

"Fine," he replied.

Regina looked at her watch. "We better get going. I have much work to do."

He followed her out. They stopped next to her vehicle. "Thanks for the chat. We should do this more often."

She smiled. "I would like that. It's been a while since I had somebody to talk to."

"Me too," he said. "See you soon...counselor."

"See you soon," she said and got in her car. He headed to his own thinking that it was nice to finally have someone who understood what he was going through.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

David waited for Liam to arrive in his office. He hoped this meeting would reveal something useful. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Aiden, just in time," David said as his partner walked in.

"Yes, you said something about a Mr. Liam Jones. Ruby has managed to contact him and he's on his way," Aiden said.

David nodded. He noticed the brown bag in Gold's hand. "What's with the bag?" he questioned. Gold handed it over to him.

"Courtesy of Belle. I told her it wasn't necessary but she insisted. I chose not to fight with her about it anymore," he said.

David chuckled. "Smart man." He looked inside the bag and in it was a container.

"Pasta," Gold said.

"Tell her thank you. She really doesn't need to do this. I can cook for myself," he stated. Gold rolled his eyes.

"Do you want me to tell my wife that her efforts went unappreciated? First, she'll have your head. More importantly, she'll have mine and she'll stop speaking to me. It will be torture. I swear that woman is making you her priority over me more and more every day."

David stifled a laugh. "Do I hear some jealousy? As I said the other day, I always wondered how a sweet woman like Belle chose you."

"And as I said, I can be quite the charmer," Gold shot back. "For the record, I'm not jealous."

David went to put the bag in a small refrigerator in the corner of his office. "Clearly," he stated. "Look, if it will make Belle feel better, I'll call her myself and personally thank her."

"Please do," Gold replied. He decided to switch subjects. "How did your date go this morning?"

David snapped his head up. "What date? I didn't go on a date." He paused. "What did Ruby say?" he asked exasperated.

"You were with someone," Gold replied nonchalantly.

"And here I thought all Ruby talked about was Jones," he said annoyed. "Apparently I was wrong."

Gold ignored his tone. "Who was it?" When David didn't answer he chuckled. "Well, haven't you become an enamored with Mrs. Regina Mills. She is stunning and you could do worse. You picked the right one."

"Gold," he said putting his hands on his hips. "We're not discussing this."

"My apologies. I didn't know this matter would put you on edge. It's best to channel that annoyance and frustration when we talk to Mr. Jones," he said amused. It had been a long time since he saw his friend get defensive.

David gave a silent thanks as he sat down. Five minutes later, Ruby walked in with Liam. David thanked her and she left.

"Mr. Jones...pleasure to meet you," David greeted. "I'm your brother's attorney, David Nolan and this is my partner, Aiden Gold." Liam shook both their hands.

Gold took the reins this time. "Mr. Jones, I'm sure Ms. Lucas informed you of Killian's dilemma. We are surprised that he failed to mention you. We would like for you to tell us about Killian and his life with Milah. We need this in order to free Mr. Jones or he will spend life behind bars. Even worse, face death by lethal injection."

David closed the door and sat on his desk waiting patiently for Liam to speak.

"Well, Killian and I haven't seen each other in a year. Our lives just got busy. But he and Milah were happy and in love. I don't see how he could do this to her. It's not like him," Liam explained.

"What about Milah?" David interjected. "Did the two of you get along?"

"Yeah. She was like the sister I never had. We were good friends," he replied.

"So never a bad word between the two of you? Killian never mentioned any heated arguments during a phone call. No one is that happy all the time," Gold pressed.

Liam rubbed the back of his head. "Killian said something about a baby. He called me one night distraught. It was hard to make any sense of it. When I tried to bring it up again, he refused to talk about it."

David and Aiden nodded their heads. A possible motive was forming in their heads.

"Where were you the night of Milah's murder?" David questioned.

"At my friend's house," he answered.

"Alright. That will be all for now," Gold said. "We will keep in touch." They led him out.

Once alone, David rubbed his head. "We need to talk to our client very soon. And in very soon, I mean now," David stated.

An hour later, he was sitting across Killian. David had a pissed off look on his face. "Why didn't you tell us about the baby?"

Killian flinched. "How-

"Your brother informed us."

"You spoke to Liam," Killian said. To David, his tone had a bit of anger to it.

"A brother you failed to mention. We told you to tell us everything. How do you expect us to represent you if we can't trust you? I'm giving you an opportunity. Tell us everything and we'll stay or find yourself another lawyer," David said.

Killian sighed. "Milah and I were trying to have a baby. We couldn't conceive. It was taking a toll and then Milah started to become distant. She was suddenly against having children and I couldn't figure it out. I pressed her and then she revealed that it was all her fault. She aborted our first child because she wasn't ready to be a mother."

"And naturally you were upset," David interjected.

"Furious. I called my brother to vent," Killian said. "After that we started growing further apart. We were just getting back on track when she died."

Gold listened intently. "Were you angry enough to kill her? Payback. Pretending to love her again so you could exact revenge."

"That's not true," Killian yelled. "I was pissed off but not enough to kill her."

"Do you realize all the prosecutor has to do is establish this as motive?" David inquired. "It's not looking good Mr. Jones."

Killian let out a frustrated sigh. "I don't know what else you want me to say."

"Well, I have a question I want answered," Gold said. "Why were you upset when Mr. Nolan mentioned us talking to Liam?"

"My brother and I haven't been on the best of terms for a year," he replied. "He told me that I needed to dump Milah after what she did. We got into a heated argument. He felt I was selling out for staying and trying to make my marriage work."

David nodded keeping his thoughts to himself. Killian looked between the two of them. "Do I still have you as lawyers?"

"Yes," David replied. "We'll keep in contact."

David called Ruby relieved she was alright. "Ruby is good and back at the office. Somebody is lying and I bet it's Liam."

Meanwhile, Regina was digging for any information when Kathryn walked into her office. "We got something. A Liam Jones. Looks like our favorite defense attorneys already questioned him this morning."

Regina smirked. "Bring him in." After Kathryn left, she thought about the phone call David received. She had to admit she would probably do the same thing.

Her phone buzzed and it was a call from Henry's school. "Hello," she said worried. Her heart quickened when the principal told him he got injured on the playground.

"I'll be right there," she said jumping out of her seat. She breathed deep to calm herself. She grabbed her purse and rushed out the door.

"Regina, where are you?" Kathryn asked.

"Henry. He got hurt and I have to go," she rushed. Kathryn nodded.

"Go," Kathryn said.

Regina went to school. Her heels were clicking hard against the tiled floor. She barged into the front office. "Where is my son?"

"Um, what's his name?" the secretary asked.

"Henry Locksley," she clipped. The secretary remembered the little boy who came in. She called the nurse and soon she and Henry emerged from the back room.

Regina's eyes softened as she saw the stained tears. "Henry," she said squatting in front of him. "What happened?"

"His arm is broken," the nurse answered. "He was playing and fell off the swing."

Regina looked into her son's eyes and they were beginning to mist. "It's going to be okay. We'll get this checked out," she said reassuringly. He just nodded his head.

She eyed the nurse. "Are his things with him?"

"No ma'am," the nurse responded. Regina moved Henry along and they walked to his classroom. She was upset to say the least. One more thing she had to deal with it. These were the times she wished she could call Robin.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of Henry crying and whimpering, Regina checking her phone for updates, calling her parents, and trying to calm Henry down. She was exhausted by the time she went to bed.

She was halfway sleep when her phone rang. "Hello."

"Regina, it's David," he greeted. She sat up wondering how David got her number. "Um, Kathryn was kind enough to give me your number."

"Oh. Is there something you need?" she asked.

"Not really. I mean, I went to your office earlier today but Kathryn said something about your son getting hurt. I was calling to see how he was," he said.

She was surprised by his action. "Thank you for that. He finally settled down," she said her voice getting higher.

David didn't know what to say for a brief moment. "So I guess this means we won't meet in the cafe tomorrow morning."

A disappointing feeling came over her. "At least not tomorrow," she said quietly.

"Okay then. Well, I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Regina said. "And David, thank you again."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Two days later...

Regina and Henry were having breakfast when her doorbell rang. She wondered who could possibly be at the door. She had to get Henry to school and she didn't want to be running late.

"Wait here," she told Henry. She stopped midway when the thought of Kathryn or Frederick popped in her head. They would show up to take Henry to school even though it wasn't necessary.

She opened the door and her eyes went wide. "Mother. What are you doing here?" She looked behind her to see her father taking out a suitcase from the trunk.

"Henry. Your father and I figured you needed help," she said. Regina sighed.

"Mother, we're fine," she insisted. "You didn't have to come."

Cora caressed Regina's cheek. "We're happy to be here. Now, where's my grandson?"

Regina let her through. Henry walked up to the doorway and kissed her cheek. "Hello sweetheart."

"Hi daddy. This was her idea, wasn't it?" she questioned.

"Once she determined that you needed her, she basically dragged me along. I told her that you would call and ask us to come if you needed to," Henry replied.

"Someone understands me," she muttered. "I'll take the bags," she continued. She grabbed them and closed the door behind them.

She heard Henry squeal. She smiled a little as she saw her son and mother embrace. Henry let go of Cora. "Grandma's here," he said excitedly.

"I see that," Regina said. Henry hugged his grandfather.

"Hello my boy," Henry said. "Have you been good for mama?"

"Yes," he replied.

Regina looked at her watch. "I have to take him to school. Please make yourselves comfortable."

Regina dropped Henry off. She went to office instead of the cafe that morning. Thankfully, the office was still quiet.

Thirty minutes went by when more people started filing in. She greeted Kathryn with a smile and waved her to come in.

"You look like you are having a rough day already," Kathryn said.

"Close the door," Regina instructed. She did and sat across from her. "My parents showed up this morning unannounced. My mother's idea."

Kathryn snickered. "Do you want to hide out with me and Frederick?"

"Don't even joke. I might just do that. Henry broke his arm. It's not like he has the flu," Regina griped. "Ugh, this is my fault because I called all stressed out. I know mother is going to bring up me moving back home at some point."

"You have a life Regina. She can't expect you to pack up and move," Kathryn countered.

"My thoughts exactly. The most important person is missing from this equation," Regina said. "My mother thinks I wallow in sadness all day."

"I know you don't. We can tag team her if you want," she offered. Regina laughed.

"I wish. Anyway, that was my morning. Any changes on our case?"

"Jury selection starts in two weeks. We still have our work cut out for us," Kathryn said.

"We'll be ready," Regina said. "We always are."

Kathryn rose out of her seat. "Oh...Mr. Jones had nothing bad to say about his brother. He doesn't understand how all this came about."

"So he's the one we have to go after the hardest when he takes the stand," Regina said. "Do more digging on them. We're missing something."

**Later that night...**

Regina didn't get home until 9pm. She walked into the study and put down her briefcase. She headed up the stairs and went to Henry's room. He was sleeping soundly. She kissed his forehead and soon stepped out.

She jumped when she saw Cora waiting for her. "Mother, you scared me."

"Sorry. I heard you come in. Did you eat something?"

"Yes. I ate at work," she answered. She glanced at Henry's door. "Thanks for picking him up. How was he?"

"Good," she said. Regina nodded her head but she had a feeling Cora wanted to say something else.

"Sweetheart, how long has Henry been asking about Robin?"

"For a while now. It's just a phase," Regina said.

"I don't think it is. He has to understand that Robin isn't coming back," she said softly.

"It's been rough but we're managing," she stated slightly annoyed. "Mom, can we talk about this later? I need to get up in the morning."

"Of course. Have a good night," Cora said.

"Good night," she said and went to her room. She leaned against the door letting out a sigh. She tried her best not to cry. Her mother was trying to be helpful but it felt like she was pointing out some type of failure.

"Pull yourself together," Regina said to herself. "Tomorrow is another day."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

David woke up to the sounds of a baby crying. He walked down to the nursery and opened the door. He smiled at the sight before him. His wife was cradling their daughter by the crib.

"Mary Margaret," he breathed out. He felt an overwhelming sense of pride and love. Her heard turned in his direction and she smiled at him.

"Hi," she said. "I guess she woke you."

It didn't matter. His family was right in front of him. "It's not a problem. You two are a sight for sore eyes."

She laughed as she started walking toward him. "Do you want to hold Emma?"

David felt tears well up in his eyes. He held out his arms ready to hold his baby girl. Mary Margaret placed Emma in his arms. He let out a shaky laugh. Holding Emma felt like a part of him was made whole. He never wanted to forget the feeling.

He looked at his wife who had tears in her eyes but then her facial expression changed. A look of horror appeared and he asked what was wrong.

"She's gone," Mary Margaret said. David looked at her confused. Panic started building but he fought to reassure his wife. He looked at the now empty blanket.

"Emma," he said his voice rising out of fear. A cry escaped Mary Margaret and David saw her crumble to the floor bleeding. He couldn't move no matter how hard he tried. The last thing he saw was his wife withering away.

David shot up sweat running down his face. He reached over for Mary Margaret but felt nothing but cold sheets. He jumped out of bed and ran to the nursery. An empty room mocked him. David let out a cry as he crashed to the floor.

Regina could hear Henry's laugh as she readied for her day. His laugh always did warm her heart. She went downstairs to see her father making breakfast while her mother was setting the table. She cleared her throat and all three looked at her.

Henry ran to her wrapping his tiny arms around her legs. "Morning mama."

"Morning baby," she replied. "Hey mom and dad." They said hello and Henry told her to sit at the table. They ate breakfast and Henry finished getting his grandson ready for school.

Regina saw them out. She knew once it was her and Cora, their conversation would pick back up. Walking back into kitchen, she waited for Cora to make the first move.

"Regina, we need to talk about last night. I know you don't want to hear this but-

"Then let's skip this conversation," she cut in. "You know my answer already."

"Henry is young and resilient. He can go to a new school, make new friends. It will be a fresh start for everybody. You can come home and practice law there. There's nothing holding you back."

"Mother, I have a life here. I have friends. Good friends who have been nothing but supportive since Robin died. Of course I wish Robin was here so we could raise Henry. I wish I could go back in time and relieve every single moment I had with him. He was my world and it was supposed to be forever but that can never happen. I thought about moving back home at first but I couldn't. I had to see if I could handle this on my own and I think I've done a pretty good job balancing my life."

"Sweetheart, you don't have to be alone. It's my job to make sure you're alright and happy. I'm trying to take care of you," Cora countered.

Regina sighed. "I'm not a little girl anymore. Yes, I called you because I was stressed but that didn't mean you had to come. Look, I have to think about what's best for me and Henry. It's staying here. You have to let me live my life."

Cora nodded her head. "Okay. However, you can always come home."

"I know mother," Regina replied.

"Well, since that's settled. What is this about Henry asking about Robin night after night?"

"He just misses his father. He just doesn't understand that Robin isn't coming back. Eventually, he'll learn," Regina responded.

Before Cora could argue her point, Regina said she had to go to work. She grabbed her belongings and kissed her mother goodbye.

She was glad not too many people were in line for coffee. She glanced over to the booths but they were empty. She was hoping to catch David. She wanted to talk to him but she settled for the fact that he might not come.

She ordered her coffee and waited. She walked out the door and right into David. Her greeting died on her lips when she saw how tired he looked. Then she noticed his red puffy eyes and it took her aback.

"David, are you alright?" she asked. She saw the heartbreak in his eyes before he put up his mask.

"I'm fine Regina," he said. "Excuse me."

She didn't know what possessed her but she dragged him to her car and opened the door. "Get in." Her glare told him not to argue with her.

She got in and pulled out her cellphone. "Kathryn, I'll be coming in late today. Something came up and I need to take care of it," she continued hanging up the phone.

Regina just drove and they stayed in complete silence. She broke the ice. "I know that look. You've been crying and you're trying very hard to act like it's no big deal. You keeping your feelings in isn't going to do anyone any good."

He said nothing. He only stared out the window. He felt himself about to break. He was hit with emotions he thought he processed.

She parked her car in front of a park. "You don't have to say anything. You can yell or scream or cry. I'm here."

David's body started to shake. "I held my daughter in my arms. It was the most amazing feeling. Then she was gone in a flash. It was a dream. A dream I barely wanted to wake up from."

He continued his voice breaking. "We were going to call her Emma. My wife Mary Margaret loved the name. We had our future all planned out. I guess I can't have what I want because I lost my wife and child within the space of a year."

David turned to Regina who had tears in her eyes. "She miscarried at six months. While in our grief, we found out she had cancer. I watched her slowly disappear but she never complained. All she wanted was for me to be happy. I don't know how to be happy without her."

His eyes searched hers as if they held the answers to his issues. She placed her hand on his.

"I didn't know how to put one foot in front of the other after Robin. My heart just shattered and it took me so long to piece it back together. I never got to say goodbye to him which made the pain even worse. Do you remember what I said during the group meeting about Henry?"

"You get out of bed because of him," he replied. "That's wonderful but I don't have anyone to get out of bed for. My work is my life and even that gets old. Everyone is trying to be helpful but all they're doing is putting an expiration date on my grief. They want me to move on and I just can't do it."

"Eventually you have to because somewhere down the road, happiness is around the corner. I know your love for Mary Margaret and Emma won't go away nor should it. You grieve in your own time and trust me, it gets better."

"When did you let go of it all? All the pain. All the heartache…

She thought about it before answering. "I'm still letting go. There are days when I'm blindsided by the pain. It gets easier but I'm not sure if it ever goes away. We have to learn how to move forward and focus on the good. I'm sure you have more good memories than bad."

"I do," he said.

"Then remember every laugh the two of you shared. Every little thing that made your heart beat faster when you saw her. You'll find yourself laughing a whole lot more."

"Where were you a year and a half ago?" he questioned. She laughed a little.

"Sorry. Maybe we were supposed to meet now," Regina stated.

"Maybe," he said. He looked at the clock on the dashboard. He chuckled.

"Gold won't be happy I'm late for work. I guess I have an excuse. I was kidnapped by a beautiful woman."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't think your partner likes me very much."

David snorted. "You couldn't be more wrong. Granted, with you around, his life is much better off." Regina tilted her head.

"How?"

"That's another story. Let's just say his wife has appointed herself my guardian."

"Well, tell Gold that I was happy to relieve his wife of her position," she teased.

"I'll be sure to give him the message," David said in the same teasing voice. "Thank you for giving me space to talk."

His intense gaze made her heart flutter. She nodded her head afraid of how her voice would sound.

"Regina, what is it?" he inquired seeing her get slightly uncomfortable. She averted her eyes.

"Nothing. Nothing at all."


End file.
